The Pine:Bottom of the Canyon

[The_Sasquatch]

Headed up to "the" Pine in early November w/ a friend who just started to fly fish. Taking him out for a day on the big waters. I have a few spots in mind (obviously down in the Slate Run area). One section I have never fished was right through the canyon. Anyone have any experience there? He's a hiker, so is another friend who's taking along w/ us, I thought it might be fun to load up a couple back packs and hike our way down the Turkey Trail, fish the bottom a little bit, then hike back up.

 

[pete41]

use to be like lower Penns-Prime bass water.

 

[Fishidiot]

Sas,
It's worth exploring and should still have some agreeable bass as well as some trout that dropped back down out of tribs. Personally, I wouldn't expect fast and furious action in November but it's always a great place to visit. Hopefully some of the Pine guys can give you better info as I've never fished it in November. They used to stock the reg section down at Slate Run in the fall.

 

[troutbert]

If you want to get a lot of exercise go ahead and do that hike. There's a lot of elevation difference between top and bottom.

If you just want to fish, there are a lot easier ways. You can just walk or bike down the bike trail from the Darling Run access, near Ansonia. Or do the same from Blackwell.

Or, you can drive down into the canyon at Tiadaghton. A 4wd vehicle is recommended. There are rough spots, and it gets "greasy" after a rain. I've driven down there, and back up, in a regular car, but it was a little dicey.

 

[csoult]

troutbert wrote:
Or, you can drive down into the canyon at Tiadaghton. A 4wd vehicle is recommended. There are rough spots, and it gets "greasy" after a rain. I've driven down there, and back up, in a regular car, but it was a little dicey.

Great place to go. I would recommend it.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I want the exercise. Fat Squatch has driven down many times. Less Fat Squatch enjoys the physical challenge!

I get the Slate Run Tackle Shop weekly emails and they say the fishing there is EPIC. I'm definitely taking him to that stretch to get him on some of those big fish. I just thought that given that he's a hiker, we could take 3 or 4 hours out of the day to do this, and hopefully catch some fish as well.

 

[RonB]

I drove down and back out of Tiadaghton. That would be my choice of entry.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I did the canyon.

Only I did it Jake on a bender style, in a canoe, in below freezing temps, with freezing rain after a birthday drinking binge. Plan was to canoe all the way down and ride my bike back up.

At the end of day one, I arrived at Tiadghton to see my buddy standing there with a big bottle of Jack to accompany my Jim. Woke up next morning and my socks and rod case were frosted next to the spent fire. Needless to say I did much less fishing then planned. Did manage a few brookies from Asaph and I think two browns from Slate.

I believe my relationship with alcohol has come to an end.

 

[NedZeppelin]

It's been a while, but I've parked at Blackwell Hotel area (is it still there?) and then biked up the paved trail to "the third bridge" and then fished. The big pool there was always productive.

 

[dryflyguy]

I'ved fished the lower canyon quite a bit - from tiadaghton down to blackwell. Very pretty area, with some long pools that are good dry fly water.
The first time I did it, I hiked along the bike trail. Good bit of walking involved there.
Then I tried hiking down from the rim along a couple trails that come in around that third bridge. That hike back up after a days fishing is pretty tough - and I don't recommend it.
I finally started biking in along the rail trail. And that is definitely the best way to go IMO

 

[sandfly]

you could hike down 4 mile and camp on state land then finish by walking up to big meadows. I can run a shuttle from here if you need squashy ole bud.

I remember jake after his night in the canyon, didn't look so good like he was gonna be sick...poor guy.....guess he learned the hard way about the weather up here....lol..

 

[NedZeppelin]

Saw many an awe-inspiring Hendrickson and Green and yes Brown Drake hatch up at the "third bridge" headed up the rail trail.

 

[turkey]

They say the Turkey Path is 1 mile down and 5 miles back up for a reason. I've only done the trail down the west rim by Bob's. Its my understanding that the east rim has stairs now. I'd recommend the hike but I might try to fish elsewhere. Don't forget about the bike path. I don't know all the details of it but that would probably offer some good access too.

Edit: I see DFG already mentioned biking. Sorry for the redundancy.

 

[Swattie87]

The Turkey Path is the one coming down from Leonard Harrison SP on the east rim correct? Runs along Little Four Mile Run with the water falls?

If that's the one you mean, yes there are stairs with railings in the steeper spots and a few larger deck areas near the waterfalls. My wife and I hiked it this Summer. Not too bad in terms of rugged terrain as it's a well hiked and maintained trail, but it's steep (800 ft elevation gain in about a mile), and yes you'll be sucking wind at the top. I've also driven down into Tiadaghton too, and biked in from the north end by Darling Run. The most effective way in just depends on which part you want to fish and/or to some degree your physical conditioning if you want to hike down from the rim.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah I'm looking for the physical challenge, not an easy way in! I just wanted to know if the fishing was any good down at the bottom, or if we should just leave our rods.

 

[Swattie87]

If you're hiking down, you might as well take the rod is my take...only gonna add a few ounces to the weight. I stopped and took a look along Little Four Mile Run for some Brookies but didn't see any...it's on the nat repro list though, and makes a few nice pools on the way down. I didn't have a rod with me (was hiking time with my wife not and fishing time, as was explained to me), but if I did I woulda tossed a bug or two in there. Pine at the bottom is Pine at the bottom...we caught plenty of Smallies down by Tiadaghton in September, no trout though.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

There are trout in 4 Mile, for sure. Thing is, they'll probably be in the spawn when I'm there. Pine, you don't have to worry about that so much!

 

[sandfly]

4 mile is on the west side in colton point state pk. lots of brooks on the upper end and wild browns below the falls..

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, Little Four Mile is on the east side, and the one I was referring to on the hike down the Turkey Path from Leonard Harrison. Much smaller watershed that Four Mile across the way, and although on the nat repro, I didn't see any fish.

 

[Chaz]

Troutbert is correct, we hiked down to the bottom on the Turkey Path about 8 years ago and it was quite difficult. The trail was actually closed, but we went anyway. The fishing was not good and that just made it worse.
They don't stock Pine in the fall except in the DH areas so that's another negative. I was up just this week, came back Friday, fishing even in the DH sections was slow for Pine. We did however catch a bunch of SMB's in the upper DH area on Monday. The wether has been all over the map, and water levels weren't over 100 CFS until late this week when they finally went above the 97 year mean flow.